Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of August poses a timely challenge for humanity and for the Church’s mission: conflict within our societies. He asks the faithful to pray ‘that societies where coexistence seems more difficult might not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious or ideological reasons.’
In the video produced this month in collaboration with Jesuit Communications Foundation, Pope Leo XIV recites a prayer composed specifically for this August intention by his Worldwide Prayer Network. The images that accompany his words create a montage of the divisions present in the world: wars, confrontation and violence that cause destruction, force people to flee their own land and contribute to existential loneliness.
Make us builders of bridges,
Able to overcome borders and ideologies,
Able to see others through the eyes of the heart,
Recognizing in every person an inviolable dignity.
There is, however, a final message of hope entrusted to young people, fresh from celebrating the Jubilee of Youth. In fact, hope for a better future depends on young people who know how to build fraternal communities, who are welcoming of one another and their differences, and who open their hearts and place themselves at the service of others.
The Pope’s prayer describes what is actually happening: ‘We live in times of fear and division. Sometimes we act as if we were alone, building walls that separate us from one another.’ We only need to glance at the news on any given day to confirm that in addition to international conflicts, numerous conflicts are originating within communities because of the exacerbation of political, religious, ethnic and other types of differences.
At the root of this phenomenon is the disregard of a fundamental truth: that we are all brothers and sisters, children of the same Father. And so the Pope continues, ‘Send us your Spirit, Lord, to rekindle within us the desire to understand one another, to listen, to live together with respect and compassion.’
To overcome differences in ideologies, it is precisely by looking at others ‘through the eyes of the heart’ that we are able to recognise the inviolable dignity of every person and to have the courage to ‘seek paths of dialogue, to respond to conflict with gestures of fraternity’. Openness to others without being afraid of their differences allows us to discover that they are not threats but ‘a richness that makes us human’.
Fr Cristóbal Fones SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, emphasises that peaceful coexistence begins with self-reflection, and by removing pride, harmful expectations and negative words from one’s heart. As Pope Leo XIV teaches, peace is built in and from the heart.
He highlights the need to overcome prejudices and acknowledge fears of the ‘different’, urging respectful listening, as others have something valuable to contribute. Dialogue, he adds, helps unite people and fosters collaboration for the common good.
Fr Fones notes that Pope Leo XIV calls on leaders to build peaceful societies by investing in families, protecting the vulnerable, upholding justice, reducing inequalities and defending truth—the foundation of authentic relationships.
Banner image: A screenshot from the Pope’s Prayer Video for August 2025.
